Darke
County Economic Development...Ohio
Receives Funding to Support Small Business Exports
More than
150 Grant Opportunities to Increase Exports
January 21, 2012

Columbus -
Today, the Ohio Department of Development announced the International
Market
Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) program, which is part of the
National
Export Initiative to double U.S. exports by 2015. The program is
administered
through the Department’s Office of Export Assistance and is designed to
increase exports and create jobs by helping small businesses promote
their
products and services in new international markets.

“Through
IMAGE grants, the Ohio Department of Development is providing support
to Ohio
small businesses as they seek to expand their offerings
internationally,” said
Christiane Schmenk, Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “By
growing
markets for Ohio products, we are creating jobs and strengthening our
communities.”

The Small
Business Jobs Act of 2010 authorized the U.S. Small Business
Administration to
establish a three-year trade and export promotion pilot program, known
as the
State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant. The grants are awarded
to states
to administer export programs that assist eligible small businesses.

Ohio
received $983,399 for the first year, which will provide IMAGE grants
to
companies for activities associated with new international marketing
initiatives. Eligible expenses include international tradeshows,
translation
services, exporter education programs, international trade missions,
subscription to services provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce,
and other
export-related initiatives approved by the Ohio Department of
Development.

Ohio’s
IMAGE program will award 111 grants at a maximum amount of $6,000 to
each
grantee, a 50 percent reimbursement on qualified expenditures. An
additional 48
grants worth up to $3,000 are available for companies electing to
participate
in approved trade missions. Companies located in the Ohio Appalachian
region may
qualify for an additional $2,000 reimbursement as part of a separate
grant from
the Appalachian Regional Commission.

To learn more about the guidelines and to
download an application, please visit www.IMAGE.development.ohio.gov.
For
additional questions contact IMAGE@development.ohio.gov or (614)
466-5017.